Get your fill of tap water on National Refill Day
Have you got the bottle to help turn the tide on plastic pollution? Great – then we’d love you to support National Refill Day on Wednesday (19 June). It’s a chance to show we’re all determined to reduce the millions of single-use plastic bottles that end up polluting our environment by opting to carry a reusable water bottle we can refill on the go opens in new window.
Latest figures show that about 1 in 5 of us drink bottled water every day – an eye-watering figure when you consider we have some of the safest tap water in the world.
Still need persuading? Let us dispel some of the myths which suggest bottled water is superior to turning on the tap.
MYTH 1 – Buying bottled water is cheap and convenient
In the UK we splash out £2.4 billion a year buying bottled water – despite tap water costing about 0.1p a litre. Many people tell us they would ditch bottled water if it was easier to access tap water on the go – and that’s why we’re so excited about the Refill revolution. There has been an explosion in the number of shops, airports, stations and other locations signing up to the Refill scheme. There are now about 20,000 refill stations across the UK where you can fill up for free. Download the free Refill App opens in new window to find the nearest one to you
If just 10 per cent of us in the UK refilled once a day we’d save more than 340 million plastic bottles a year!
MYTH 2 – Plastic bottles are recycled so it must be okay
According to a House of Commons report (pdf) opens in new window, the UK throws away 13 billion plastic bottles every year, with only 7.5 billion of these being recycled. The remaining 5.5 billion bottles are sent to landfill, adding to the country’s CO2 emissions. There is also a significant cost to marine and wildlife. Plastic bottles currently account for a third of all plastic pollution in our oceans. If it continues at its current rate, by 2050 the amount of plastic in our oceans will outweigh fish.
MYTH 3 – Bottled water tastes better
Did you catch the BBC’s War on Plastic opens in new window recently? Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall took to the streets to promote the latest bottle on the market – ‘Tapineau’ to see what people thought of the taste. The verdict? Gorgeous! Tapineau turned out to be straight from the tap and backed up many other taste tests that suggest people cannot tell the difference
MYTH 4 – Bottled water is healthier and safer
The levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium found in tap water are comparative to those in bottled water. Additionally, tap water also contains a small amount of chlorine, which has an antibacterial effect, ensuring water is safe and free from germs.
Every year water companies carry out millions of tests to check that tap water complies with some of the most stringent water quality standards in the world. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) consistently reports that over 99% of these tests make the grade.
So there really is no need to choose plastic when our tap water is fantastic!
Show your support and join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #GotTheBottle.